James Berners 1655 – 1692

James Berners was Josias’ only son and heir. Before he was 12, James had three father figures: Josias, Baron Roger Hill and Col George Thomson. In the next 20 years, the four New River shares he inherited paid dividends of over £7,500; a huge sum that would allow him to rise into the world of the landed gentry. He also inherited land and property.

On 12^th November 1677, James Berners married Mary Robinson at St Bartholomew the Great, the oldest parish church in London. James was described as a “Gentleman, from Wormley, Herts”, suggesting that he had purchased property there. His wife, Mary, came from Cheshunt and was just seventeen at the time of the wedding, requiring her father’s permission to wed. 

Two years after their marriage, a son and heir William was born. In their short marriage they had six children: Mary (1678) , William (1679), James (1681), Winefred (1681), Abigail (1683) and Josias (1684). Of these children we know little. Winefred died at the age of three. William went on to marry Elizabeth Raworth at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1705. Abigail married Hill Denny also at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1702 and their only surviving child, William, went on to become Colonel William Denny, Lieutenant-Governor of Pennsylvania. The Denny name would appear a century later in the pedigree of the Berners family through Henry Denny Berners.

Little development was undertaken on the Newlands farm during James’ lifetime. In 1685, two acres of land with a house, a pond and a bowling green were leased to the New River Company to build a reservoir enclosed by a brick wall which was part of a series of ponds to supply the new West End houses with water. Four years later, there was some building by a man called Bullamore, which included a three-storey house over a cistern and a 12-horse stable.

James’ financial position was strong enough to enable him to purchase in 1689 a fine country house in Hertfordshire, More’s Place, from Sir Richard Atkins, the year of the baronet’s death. James had also received a legacy of £4,000 bequeathed by Mary Robinson’s father on his death in 1686. 

James Berners would only enjoy the country house for three years. He died at the age of just 37, in 1692. His remains were buried in a vault in St Andrew’s Church, Much Hadham with a fine monument on the wall. 

The property and shares passed on to his eldest son, William, who at this time was only 13 years old. William inherited a significant amount of land in London and Hertfordshire, as well as a perpetual annuity of £20 on property in London.  In 1698 the four New River Company shares were worth £4,000 each and two years later they paid a dividend of £211 each. William had an obligation under his father’s will to pay portions of the profit from one of New River Company shares to his brothers and sisters. 

William’s mother, Mary, and uncles were responsible for William’s inheritance until he reached his majority in August 1700. Samuel Robinson, William’s uncle by marriage and named a trustee in James Berners’ will, had a strong role in bringing up William after his father’s untimely death.

The Morion, or helmet, which appears in the Berners’ family crest may date from this time. It was brought to the marriage by Mary Robinson. It was presented to a forebear, Richard Robinson, after the battle of Chevy Chase (1388) by Henry IV, who gave permission for it to be used on a coat of arms. Richard had slain the Earl of Fife at the cost of one of his eyes.